The Bet
by NikkiB1973
Summary: Embry issues a bet to Jacob, well he has to take it, doesn't he? Set in Eclipse AU


**The Bet**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-just a bit of fun. Set in Eclipse AU**_

Jacob's hand slipped as he tightened a screw in the Rabbit's engine. The wrench cut a deep welt in his palm and blood began to seep out of the cut. He grabbed a rag and wrapped it around his hand, not worried as it would be healed within moments.

Embry, who was sitting on an old upturned crate, took a sip of his soda and grinned. "Mind somewhere else, Jakey boy?" He grinned as Jacob shot him a dark look.

"Haven't you got someone else to annoy?" Jacob took the rag off and wiped the residue of the blood away; the cut was completely healed.

"Nope, just you." Embry finished his drink and screwed the can up in his hand, chucking it into the bin beside him. "So what has Bella done to upset you now?"

"Why do you think it has something to do with Bells?" Jacob frowned.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Please, you always get like this when she's done something. What is it this time?"

Jacob ran a hand through his short hair, making it stand up in spikes. "She was supposed to come over today but cancelled at the last minute. The leech suddenly decided to take her out for their anniversary dinner. He can't even eat! " He complained.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Jake?" Embry asked. "There are plenty of other girls out there. Maria asked about you again the other day."

"I'm not interested in Maria." Jacob glared at Embry again.

"Are you blind dude? She's the hottest girl on the res and she's interested in you." Embry gave him a sly wink. "Ask her out, she would definitely say yes."

"No." Jacob said stubbornly.

Embry shook his head and sighed. "You're hopeless. I bet if Bella saw you with another girl, she would soon ditch that Cullen creep and come running."

"Yeah right and just how would she see me with Maria?" Jacob leaned against the car and crossed his arms.

"You could take her to the same place the leech is taking Bella today." Embry suggested. "Or are you too chicken?"

"I'm not." Jacob protested.

"I bet that you won't go through with it." Embry stood up and looked Jacob in the eye.

"I'll take that bet." Jacob held out his hand and Embry shook it.

XXXXXX

Jacob saw Maria surrounded by her usual crew heading toward the beach. She really was a beautiful girl with her long, flowing black hair, curvy figure and large dark eyes framed with long lashes. It was just that she did nothing for him. He sighed wishing he hadn't let Embry get under his skin.

He felt a nudge in his side as Embry prodded him. "Go on, Jake. She's just over there."

"Alright I'm going." Jacob rolled his shoulders and began strutting toward Maria and her friends.

Embry put a hand over his eyes. Why was Jacob walking like that? This was like a car crash waiting to happen. Still too late now, hopefully Maria would overlook the weird walk and still agree to go out with him. He stood and watched with baited breath as Jacob finally reached the girls.

"Hey, Maria." Jacob puffed out his chest and gave her a flirty wink.

Maria glanced up at him and stared. "Jake? Are you feeling alright? You look a bit strange."

Jacob heard Embry laughing behind him and he turned and glared at him. Embry gestured for him to turn back to face Maria. She and her friends were staring at him curiously. He pulled himself together and smiled. "I was just wondering whether you want to come out to dinner with me?"

Maria smiled back at him, she smoothed down her short skirt and patted her hair. "Yes." She simpered, suddenly switching into her flirting mode. "When?"

"Now." Jacob replied.

"Right now?" Maria was surprised. "It's a bit short notice. How about later tonight? It will give me time to change."

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "You'll do. It has to be now because...err...because..."

Maria arched one carefully plucked eyebrow. "Because?"

"I have to get back early because of my dad. He needs help in the evenings." Jacob said quickly.

Maria gave him a sympathetic smile. "Oh, of course. Well now it is then. See you later girls."Her friends began giggling and whispering as she took Jacob's arm and began to walk off with him, swaying her hips as she did so.

Embry followed after them slowly, actually surprised that Jacob had managed to pull it off after acting like such a goof in front of her. Maria must be easily pleased.

XXXXXX

Bella sat opposite Edward in the same Italian restaurant he had first taken her to in Port Angeles when he had saved her from her attackers. She felt a bit uncomfortable being there. They were in a private booth, but she was the only one actually eating. He had sprung the surprise dinner on her at the last minute. She had been at home getting ready to leave for La Push when he had turned up with a huge bunch of flowers and a card. Apparently it was some sort of anniversary that she knew nothing about. She hadn't been counting how long they had been together. That sort of thing didn't interest her, but Edward was the romantic sort and piled on the guilt until she called Jacob and cancelled her visit. She could tell by his tone that she had pissed him off greatly. Now she was stuck here eating alone with Edward staring at her.

"How is the food?" Edward asked her as she chewed slowly, feeling very self conscious as he studied her reaction.

"Loovely." Bella tried to keep her mouth closed as she ate, it resulted in her words coming out slightly slurred.

Edward frowned. "What was that my love?"

Bella swallowed, nearly choking in the process. Edward quickly handed her a glass of water and she chugged it down gratefully. "I said the food is lovely."

He gave her his crooked smile and reached for her hand,kissing the back of it. "Not as lovely as you, my Bella."

"Right." Bella hated it when he came out with such flowery compliments. They sounded so false. But as usual she refrained from saying anything and continued eating.

Edward continued to stare at her as she ate and she was finding it increasingly difficult to chew properly. He was making her extremely uncomfortable. She picked up her glass of water and put it to her lips. As she did so she happened to glance up as the door to the restaurant opened and none other than Jacob Black walked in; a strumpet attached to his side like a tic. Water flew out of Bella's mouth and it sprayed all over Edward, wetting his perfectly coiffed hair.

"JACOB." She called out unthinkingly.

Edward tutted as he wiped at his face with a napkin. He turned around and put the napkin over his nose as Jacob walked over to their booth. "Fancy seeing you here." He said with a grin.

"Yes, fancy that." Edward narrowed his eyes as he glared at his love rival.

Bella was staring at the tart attached to Jacob's side like a limpet. "And who is she?" She couldn't keep the jealousy out of her voice.

Maria gave her a dirty look. "Jakey who is this?" She pressed herself into his side and batted her eyelashes at him.

Jacob was gazing at Bella and didn't really hear her at first. Maria tugged on his arm. "Jakey, I asked who is this?"

"Oh sorry, this is my Be...I mean Bells, Bella." He stumbled over her name. Edward gave him a dark look.

"Bella, what a common name." Maria said stiffly. She didn't like the way Jacob was staring at the brown haired girl, like she was a goddess or something. She was just an ordinary, rather pale girl.

"I asked who she was, Jake." Bella said again.

"This is Maria." Jacob pulled his arm out of Maria's hold and stepped away from her, she was really clingy.

"Maria, huh. What a common name." Bella spat sarcastically, echoing Maria's insult.

Edward gave a dramatic sigh, bored with all the posturing. Jacob's wet dog smell was overwhelming. "I'm Edward if anybody is interested." He murmured.

"Not really." Jacob replied.

Maria took hold of Jacob's arm again. "Jakey, can we go order now?" She gave him a sweet smile.

"Jakey? His name is Jacob, spelt J-A-C-O-B." Bella interjected angrily. No one was allowed to call him that but her.

Maria put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Bella. "What is your problem?"

Bella stood up and crossed her arms. "My problem? What about yours? Poor Jake can't breathe with you draped all over him."

Edward stared at Bella aghast, he had never seen her act like this before. Anyone would think she was jealous. He shot Jacob a dark look as he read his mind. The dog was enjoying all the theatrics. Well he would put a stop to it. "Bella my love maybe we should leave. There is a lovely little bistro not too far..."

Bella shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving. The strumpet can leave...I mean they can leave."

"How dare you?" Maria said in outrage. She pressed herself back into Jacob's side and gazed up at him. "Jakey are you going to let this witch talk to me like that?"

Jacob grinned as he saw Bella begin to shake, she got like this when she was about to explode. He loved seeing her all riled up. He often pissed her off on purpose just to see the fire build up in her. She looked especially beautiful when she was mad. Cullen stifled that side of her, well he was about to get to see the volcano erupt.

"STOP CALLING HIM JAKEY. I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CALL HIM THAT." Bella yelled.

The other diners went quiet as they all turned to stare at the angry brunette and the black haired girl who were about to have a fight. Edward caught hold of Bella's hand and forced her to look at him. "Come my love, you are making a scene." He admonished her.

"Ugh stop calling me 'my love.' What are you, a hundred years old or something?" Bella shouted at him.

"Well honey he is actually." Jacob laughed as Bella whipped around and glared at him.

"Don't push it, Jacob." She snapped.

Maria looked between Bella's outraged face and Jacob's smug one. It finally dawned on her that she had been used. "You brought me here on purpose."

"What?" Jacob said distractedly, he was too busy admiring the red highlights shining in Bella's hair.

Edward had read Jacob's mind and he shook his head and tutted. "It seems that the girl is correct my l...Bella. The do...your friend brought her here to make you jealous."

Bella's anger dissipated at once. "Is this true, Jake?"

Jacob suddenly felt guilty as he saw the hurt in Maria's eyes and the disbelief in Bella's. "It was Embry's fault."

"Embry." Bella and Maria said together.

"He bet me that I should bring a girl out to the same restaurant as you and the leech here. I had to take the bet." Jacob felt even worse when he said the words aloud.

"I can't believe that you would do that, Jake." Bella climbed out of the booth. "Meg, my boyfriend and I can take you home if you want a lift."

Maria nodded. "It's Maria and yes I would like a ride home." She then turned to Jacob. "Thanks for nothing."

Edward slipped past Jacob and smirked at him. "When will you ever learn. Bella is mine and no pathetic stunt to make her jealous will ever change that." He said as a parting shot. He followed after the two girls swiftly leaving Jacob standing alone wondering what the hell he had done.

XXXXXX

Embry shook his head at Jacob as he told him the whole sorry tale. "Dude you really blew it. Maria is bad mouthing you all around the res."

"This is your fault, Call. Bells is not speaking to me at all now." Jacob complained.

"Shame. Well I've gotta run." Embry stood up and began to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jacob demanded.

"I've got a hot date with Maria tonight. She needs a shoulder to cry on." Embry said with a grin.

"You did this on purpose." Jacob suddenly realised that Embry had played him. "Maria wasn't interested in you until I screwed up."

"That's life, Jakey boy. See you later." Embry sprinted from the garage as Jacob threw a wrench at his head.

XXXXXX

Jacob had been working on the Rabbit obsessively to take his mind off of Bella. He had tried calling her but Charlie had told him she was still out with the leech. All in all it had been a shit day. He slammed the hood of the car down and packed his tools away. It was at this point that he heard the loud rumbling engine of Bella's Chevy. He was out the door and sprinting toward her before she even turned off the engine. As soon as her feet touched the floor Jacob pulled her into a bear hug and held on tight. "I'm sorry." He mumbled as he hid his face in the crook of her neck.

Bella pushed on his chest until he released her. "That was an awful thing you did, Jake. Meg was devastated. She seemed like a sweet girl too."

"Her name is Maria, Bells and you looked like you wanted to scratch her eyes out when we were in the restaurant." Jacob reminded her. "You were jealous when you thought I was out on a date with another girl."

Bella turned red. She opened her mouth to deny his assertion but then closed it. She sagged against the side of the truck. "Okay you win. I was jealous." She confessed.

Jacob smiled happily, surprised that she had admitted it so easily. "I knew it. I bet the disco ball wasn't too happy about that."

"Ha ha, Jake and no Edward was not amused in the least. He said my behaviour was uncouth." Bella muttered irritably. " He said I had made an exhibition of myself and hoped that now I had seen what you were like that maybe I would realise you were an unacceptable influence."

"He what?" Jacob exploded, ready to march to the Cullen mansion and rip Edward to pieces. "What did you say?"

A smirk crossed Bella's face as she glanced up at him from under her long lashes. "I told him to..." Bella stopped speaking as she stood on her tiptoes and whispered the rest in Jacob's ear.

He grinned at her. "That's very colourful language for you, honey. I bet he was shocked."

"Yep. I left him sitting in the Volvo with his mouth open and I got in my truck and drove straight here."

Jacob took her face in his hands and leaned in and kissed her on the lips, literally taking her breath away. "I might have made a fool of myself but it was so worth it." He said when the kiss was over.

"I think you have Embry to thank." Bella laughed as she pulled his head down for another kiss.

Jacob smiled into the kiss. "I think Maria might be giving him all the thanks he needs." He murmured against her lips.

_**FIN...**_


End file.
